Just For A Heartbeat (Piper Anderson Legacy Mystery Book 2)
Page 15
The knife was at her neck, pressing against her flesh and making it hard to get the words out, but she forced herself. “They’ll figure it out if you kill me with that knife. If the FBI really does get involved, they’ll know it was you. Your father will be in trouble then.”
He huffed and banged her hands down on the ground again as punishment. “You’re going over those bluffs. I didn’t think you had it in you to run. But you won’t do it again.” Wilson stood and grabbed her by the front of her shirt, pulling her upright. He pulled her back to his chest, placing the knife at her throat as they marched toward the sound of the ocean again.
There had been many things Ruby had learned while she stayed locked away in her house. The list was long. But probably the one that was meant to be the most empowering was martial arts. It had started with old VHS tapes she’d ordered off the Internet. Something half silly that she figured she’d never use. But the thing about the Internet today was everything was there. And when you had nothing but time to spend learning, it made skills most people never studied very attainable.
They were less than ten feet from the edge of the cliff when Ruby closed her eyes and thought of the old crooked-backed man who led the karate videos she’d studied. Never having the chance to put it into practice, there was no way to know if any of the moves she’d learned could have a real world application. But if there was ever a chance to find out, it would have to be now.
The knife came down from her throat as Wilson spun her around, her back to the crashing waves below. Tossing the knife down he clamped both hands to her shoulders and began to move her backward.
Knee. She reminded herself. Elbow. With all the thrust she could manage she threw her knee into him, bending him in half as all the breath rushed from his body. Looking down at his back as he hunched over her, two elbows came down on the base of his head.
Falling forward he took her legs out from under her, crushing her against the ground, her head falling over the side of the cliff. Sharp rocks dug into her back as she grabbed clumps of his hair, pulling it out at the root. As Wilson tried to right himself, she dug her thumbs into his eyes and bit his hand as it passed by her face.
Every bit of fight in her was rising up, but a terrifying byproduct of the thrashing was that with every effort to save herself both their bodies were forced farther over the edge. Frantically, Ruby let go of Wilson when her shoulders were pushed off the precipice and she instinctively clutched at the ground, reaching for anything that could anchor her.
She felt the cool metal handle of the knife under her hand. When she wrapped her fingers around it and lifted it into the air she felt a wave of agony at the idea of stabbing him, even if it was to save her life. But as another inch of earth disappeared underneath her she knew she had no choice. Plunging the knife down into his side, she screamed, matching the volume of his own howl.
With adrenaline fueled effort, she pulled the knife back out and readied to strike again as he continued to try to push her over the edge. But before she could drive the blade down again a boot skimmed by her face, and its contact sent Wilson’s body flying off her. Patrick was a blur of flesh and heat that blew over her on his way to Wilson.
Stephanie’s hands were on hers, pulling her off the edge with sobs of apology flowing uncontrollably. She scrambled to remove the ties from Ruby’s wrists as the sound of Patrick’s fists pummeling Wilson grew louder than the crashing waves below.
“Stop,” Ruby said, crawling on all fours over to him, pawing at his back. “Don’t kill him. Please. Patrick. Don’t kill him.”
“He was trying to kill you!” Patrick yelled, his bloody knuckles now wrapped tightly around Wilson’s neck.
“I want to love you, Patrick,” she pleaded, rounding on them and pulling his hands off Wilson. “I want to walk away from this and have a life with you. Not after a trial. Not after you’re cleared. Not after you have to face the fact that you took a man’s life. I want an easy life with you, a free one. Let him live, not for him but for us.”
“I promised you I would protect you,” Patrick panted heavily. “I promised I would never let anything else happen to you.”
“Then protect me from losing you because of this,” she insisted. “Walk away from this clean and don’t lose a minute of our lives. I’ve lost too much already.”
Reluctantly Patrick’s posture changed from spring-loaded to deflated. “He deserves to die,” he murmured, looking at Ruby helplessly.
“But we deserve each other more.”
Chapter 29
Ruby’s camera had once again become an extension of her body. For almost every waking moment, it hung around her neck while she sized up what might become her next beautiful shot. Her two broken wrists had taken a couple months to heal. The left one, pieced together with pins, still didn’t allow for a full range of motion, but it didn’t slow her down. Although it affected her ability to quickly adjust her exposure meter and lens release, Patrick regularly reminded her it was not the technology that made her a photographer. He’d point to a recent print of hers and highlight the unique angle she’d found or the perfect lighting.
“That’s going to be stunning,” a friendly voice called atop the hill behind her. “Those leaves are practically glowing red.”
“Piper, you didn’t have to come looking for me. Or maybe you did, I could photograph out here all day. Edenville is beautiful. The changing leaves hang around longer down here,” Ruby said, one eye pinched close as she lined up her shot. Holding her breath she almost couldn’t believe the perfection of it all. Her camera’s aperture was flung wide open, letting in every inch of available light. The red leaves danced like ballerinas in the light breeze, the majority in sharp focus while the outer edges of the shot were creamy and unfocused.
“Bobby got some updates today. I thought you might be interested in hearing what’s going on with the Dan Corban case.”
“Of course,” Ruby said, still unable to hear his name without vividly seeing the horrific crime scene photographs in her mind’s eye.
“He’s cooperated fully so far. There was one victim he said he couldn’t name or remember much about. He was drinking heavily and couldn’t recall much. It took a few weeks working with a sketch artist, and they even did hypnosis. Turns out it was a homeless young woman. Never reported missing. The family has been informed now. Four of the original files of missing girls Bobby pulled when we first started working were also matches.”
“Why did so many girls go with him, seemingly without a fight?” Ruby asked, the question had been wearing on her for a while.
“Some of us close the world in around us, but other people look for the first wagon headed out of town and hitch themselves to it. He was an opportunity when these girls probably felt like they didn’t have any options. I swear it’s why Bobby and I are so set in one thing when it comes to our kids. They can always come home. No matter what, no matter when, the door is always open for them.”
“Do you think the families are relieved to know the truth? Especially people like Alison and Hank, who were holding on to hope?”
“Pacey’s parents are good people,” Piper said gingerly. “But I didn’t find it very credible that they actually believed their daughter was alive. Bobby spoke with Hank a few days after Dan broke the news to them. It sounded like even if they did say they believed she was alive, in Hank’s heart he didn’t believe he’d ever see her again. They’re devastated. He’d likely kill Dan Corban himself if he could.”
“Who could blame him?” Ruby asked, remembering Hank and Alison’s warm welcome when she and Patrick barged in on them, flashing pictures of their daughter. “Can I tell you something I haven’t even told Patrick yet?”
“Sure.” Piper shrugged, doing Ruby the favor of not looking at her full on while she tried to get the words out.
“Shep sent me a letter,” she forced out, biting nervously on her lip. “It came a couple days before we came down here. I haven’t opened it yet.”
“I put his son in jail,” Ruby said as though the truth was as apparent as the sun shining down on them.
“The police put him in jail,” Piper corrected. “His actions put him in jail. You certainly did not. You don’t own any of the guilt in the situation. If Shep sent a letter just to chastise you then maybe you’re right, it’s not worth reading.”
“Open it for me?” Ruby asked, handing over the folded envelope. “If it’s him being terrible, keep it and throw it in the campfire tonight.”
Piper skipped any unnecessary drama and ripped open the letter. Her eyes scanned the words but her face gave no indication of its contents.
“Read it,” Piper said, wrinkling the paper as she stuffed it back in Ruby’s hand. “It’s yours to read. We can’t put it in the fire.”
“Fine,” Ruby said, unfolding it like she was handling some plutonium that could cause a catastrophe any moment. She cleared her throat and reluctantly read aloud.
Dear Ruby,
This letter will sound like a whole lot of excuses. That’s not my intention, but no matter how I wrote and rewrote it I still found myself trying to justify Wilson’s actions to you. At some point I couldn’t crumple up any more sheets of paper so I just decided this would be the one I send.
There is something about being a parent that changes you in a way that can’t be measured by anything I know of today. You find new strength you didn’t know you had but with it deep fears you couldn’t imagine existed. From that fear I did things I’m not proud of. I yelled too loud. Complained too much. Missed too many important parts of Wilson’s life. I should have given him calm when he was worked up, not joined in and made every situation worse.
I tried to instill loyalty in him, but somewhere along the way the message was twisted into something he used to hurt you. The logic he used still tears me up when I let myself think about it. The protection of my ego and reputation became paramount to him. More important than his own freedom. More important than your safety.
Maybe it doesn’t matter, but I truly believe the first time he took you he had no intention of hurting you. At the time he was not capable of causing you any real harm. But after his deployments he was a changed man. His fixation on loyalty to me grew even deeper as did his exposure to death. He lost friends. He lost people he cared deeply for. I knew the moment he returned his pain ran deep. Yet I did nothing to help him.
You are not required to forgive. When I think not only of what happened to you but how I treated you in the aftermath, I am sick to my stomach. You are also not required to believe that I truly didn’t know Wilson was responsible for the first attack.
I failed you as an officer of the law. I failed my son as a father. I failed this island and my sworn duty to keep it safe. I’ve surrendered my badge in hopes that my successor will do all he can to earn back the trust that has been lost.
If you do find any room in your heart for forgiveness, please use it to pity Wilson. He deserved better than I gave him. I hope you find peace. I hope the damage that has been caused can be reversed in time for you to experience everything in life you’ve missed because of my family.
The fight you had to endure breaks my heart, but the fact that you were able to tells me you can get through this too.
Regards,
Shep.
Ruby refolded the note and shoved it into her pocket. It was an informational and emotional overload. Shep hadn’t been one to show her an ounce of empathy over the years and now suddenly she felt sorry for him.
“This tree is one of my favorites,” Piper said, coolly changing the subject. “I come out here every once in a while with the kids, and we have a picnic. I’m sure your photographs will be beautiful. I’d love to get a copy of that once you develop it.”
“Of course,” Ruby said, smiling brightly as she lowered her camera. “But don’t feel like you have to humor me. I’m still working on my skill. I can’t believe how long I went without doing what I love.”
“It’s never about the time we lose,” Piper said, strolling along with Ruby as they headed toward the restaurant. It was a quaint place with a menu unmatched by anything Ruby had seen before. Run by Betty, the eccentric but lovely woman who Piper attributed most of her life’s success to. “Once you find your way back you appreciate the time you have so much more.”
“Thank you for having Patrick and me down for a visit. It’s my first time in North Carolina, and Edenville is so lovely. Neither Patrick nor I have had a big family Thanksgiving in a very long time. I’m excited to taste Betty’s mashed potatoes everyone has been talking about. There’s a lot of hype about the deep fried turkey too.”
“In most situations I’d say don’t believe the hype, but when it comes to Betty’s food, trust me, we can’t come close to doing it justice. My best advice is, wear some pants with a stretchy waist and fast for at least twelve hours before we sit down.”
“You’re sure we aren’t intruding? I feel like Thanksgiving should be a family affair.” Ruby paused to frame a few more shots of the foliage as they made their way.
Piper giggled. “We can’t even have the meal at Betty’s table any more. For the last three years we’ve been doing it at the restaurant. There are just too many of us. And it’s far from being just family. Most of us aren’t blood related at all. You’ll see four elderly neighbors, two students from the university who couldn’t make it home in time, and a couple friends of Willow’s who’ve moved down with their little boy from New York. They stayed in that apartment above the restaurant you’re staying in when they first got here.”
“Edenville seems like a pretty special place. So inclusive and welcoming.”
“No,” Piper corrected, wrinkling her brow thoughtfully. “Edenville is no different than anywhere else. It’s Betty and the people she’s surrounded herself with that make the difference. They’re what make this my favorite place on earth.”
Ruby smirked. “You say that like you aren’t one of them. You’re the one who called me every day for the first month while I was recovering. You’re the one who asked Patrick and me to join you for the holiday. You are every bit as welcoming and inclusive as anyone else I’ve met here. You don’t give yourself enough credit.”
“It’s hard to remember I’m not an outsider anymore,” Piper agreed. “I’ve found my home, my family, and my future. I wish the same for you. It’s a hell of a lot of work for people like us.”
“People like us?” Ruby asked, her eyes wide. “You’ve got your life sorted out, I hardly get my laundry sorted out correctly. Look, I washed this shirt with a red sock.”
Betty walked up, her apron still tied up tightly against her powder blue, long-sleeved dress. “What are you two trouble makers doing out here?” she asked, her warm honey voice bringing joy to Ruby’s heart.
“I’m trying to explain to Ruby how we’re the same. She doesn’t believe me, and I’m not as good with words as you are.” Piper looped her arm in Betty’s and strolled with a matching stride.
“Girl,” Betty said, flashing a knowing look at Ruby, “you two are the same kind of quilt, Piper just has a few more squares sewed on than you do. But you’re well on your way. You’ll be warm and whole and vibrant just like her before you know it. I promise.”
“That’s a big promise,” Ruby challenged jokingly.
“I know these things,” Betty said, seriously. “I know when it’s going to rain before the first drop leaves the clouds because the joint in my elbow gets sore. I know when the kids are waking up from their nap before they ever make a peep because my ears start to buzz a bit. But more importantly, I know when people are going to be all right even before they know themselves because my heart does this tingling thing.”
“And your heart tingles when you see me?” Ruby asked, stripping away any skepticism or sarcasm,
not wanting to insult people who’d shown her so much kindness.
“When you’re behind that camera, one eye all squished shut as you fiddle with all the buttons on that thing, my heart tingles. When you slow dance out by the fire with Patrick after you think the rest of us are gone, my heart tingles. There are moments in life when the sun forces its way through the clouds and shoots a steady beam of light straight down to earth. I see those moments for you. So yes, I promise you are going to be all right.”
It was irrational in that moment to feel absolved of all her worry. There was no reasonable way to explain that her anxiety seemed to be carried away from her body by the passing breeze. They were just words spoken by a stranger, but the significance of them seemed to run deep through her body.
“I believe you,” Ruby said, suddenly jogging ahead of them and crouching. “Stay right there. I need to capture this moment.”
Piper griped a bit about her hair being a mess and Betty hurriedly dusted the flour off her apron, but Ruby made them freeze. “Don’t change anything. Someone once told me that a photograph captured the fact that, just for a heartbeat, everything was perfect and we were happy.”
“You’ve got that wrong girly,” Betty said through her smile, perfectly posed for the picture. “It’s not about capturing a heartbeat worth of happiness. It’s about building a life that makes your heart beat. It makes it thump fast and impatient. The photograph should remind you of a life brimming with happiness, not a moment.”
“You’re right, Betty,” Ruby said, dropping the camera down to where it hung around her neck, waiting for them to catch up to her.
“Well look at that,” Piper laughed. “She’s learned the language of our people. You’re right, Betty are the magic words that open doors here in Edenville. It’s the key to getting the last scoop of mashed potatoes or the first dinner roll hot out of the oven.”
“I’m a fast learner,” Ruby said with mock arrogance.